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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28355565">triple shot (of espresso)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PEGCHANGMIN/pseuds/PEGCHANGMIN'>PEGCHANGMIN</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SF9 (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(cameo from rowoon + chani), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops &amp; Cafés, Alternate Universe - Office, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Polyamory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:29:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,581</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28355565</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PEGCHANGMIN/pseuds/PEGCHANGMIN</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>prompt: ot3 hyung line running into each other in the same coffee shop each morning, not realizing they all work at the same place but in different departments</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Inseong/Kim Youngbin, Kim Inseong/Kim Youngbin/Lee Jaeyoon, Kim Inseong/Lee Jaeyoon, Kim Youngbin/Lee Jaeyoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>SF9 Secret Santa Fic Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovestruc/gifts">lovestruc</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>written for sf9 secret santa exchange for kai! i took some creative liberties with the prompt but i hope you enjoy nonetheless, this was really fun pairing to write and definitely pushed my outside of my comfort zone ♡</p><p>btw this is an ongoing fic!! i was going to post all at once but there was a 2000 word limit for the secret santa exchange fics and i vastly surpassed that :"D <b>next chapter will be posted in a week, stay tuned!</b></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Inseong feels like he’s on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion when he stumbles into his favourite coffee shop roughly thirty minutes before work. He goes through the motions of ordering his “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m incredibly exhausted and need caffeine immediately</span>
  </em>
  <span>” drink, turning his brain off and moving on autopilot. The cashier looks a little sympathetic for him and throws in a free scone. Inseong isn’t aware of any of the other patrons until a voice snaps him out of his zombie-like trance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you good?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong blearily glances to his right, where another customer is waiting for their drink to be made. He’s never seen them before, let alone had a conversation with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger laughs. “Yes, you. I’ve seen you come here a few times now and you always look like you’re on the verge of passing out. I just wanted to know if you’re doing alright.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong flushes a little at that, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just a few sleepless nights of coding, that’s all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I hope you can get some good sleep tonight. I’m Jaeyoon.” He says, and even in his horribly sleep-deprived state, Inseong thinks Jaeyoon has the prettiest dimpled smile. There’s something warm and comforting to him that Inseong wouldn’t expect from a person he’s just met. He’s cute, and if Inseong was more in touch with his feelings, he’d admit that Jaeyoon fits his type to a T. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inseong.” He responds, right as the barista lady calls out his name and order. Jaeyoon stares at him in awe, bug-eyed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got an americano with </span>
  <em>
    <span>four </span>
  </em>
  <span>extra shots of espresso?” Inseong can’t tell if Jaeyoon is disappointed or severely concerned for his health. “Take care of yourself, alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong stabs a straw through the hole at the top, feeling energy seep back into his body as he takes a few sips. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaeyoon laughs wearily. “I’ll take your word. See you around.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong can’t help but smile back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he walks into work with an extra bounce in his step. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>♡♡♡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Getting coffee from the cafe in the morning is a luxury, so the next time Inseong’s there is after a night of partying. He has to keep reminding himself that he’s no longer a fresh-eyed college student and that he can’t hold his alcohol the same way he did eight years ago. With Jaeyoon’s words echoing in his head, he orders his usual iced americano, but this time with no additional shots of espresso. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong must be more hungover than he feels, because as he’s walking out of the cafe, he trips over his shoelaces, losing grip of his drink and falling to the ground. His heart instantly drops to the bottom of his stomach when he sees the contents of his drink all over an extremely expensive looking suit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh,” Inseong’s face heats up as he quickly rushes to grab a handful of tissues, feeling like a bumbling college freshman again, “oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”  He makes a rather pathetic attempt at trying to wipe away the stain, grimacing at the now ruined white button up shirt. Inseong nervously looks upwards and is surprised to see no traces of anger on the stranger’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s alright.” The stranger says reassuringly, mouth quirking into a smile. “It happens sometimes, it’s not your fault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please let me pay the dry cleaning bill or something.” Inseong pleads, still attempting to mop up the mess he made. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” the stranger gently catches Inseong’s wrist in his hand, “it’s really alright. I have a spare set of clothes at work.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong’s breath catches in his throat for no good reason as he slowly nods. “Alright, but you should let me treat you to coffee next time. I feel really bad about all this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger nods, eyes curling into crescent moons when he smiles. “Okay, that sounds nice. How about we exchange numbers and decide on a time?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Inseong responds, breathless. They swap phones, entering in their contact information before swapping them back. “Your name is Youngbin.” He says dumbly, looking up at the aforementioned man. The name smoothly rolls off his tongue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And your name is Inseong.” Youngbin looks really handsome when he smiles, as if his petite face can barely contain how much happiness he stores inside. “I’ll text you, okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong can’t help but grin. “Okay, see you around.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>♡♡♡</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next time Inseong runs into either of them is when he’s out with Doyoung, because, and to quote his words exactly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“wanted to show off a new idea he had of a piece of malware.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you be, like, a normal programmer.” Inseong complains when they meet up at his favourite coffee shop. “Who the fuck goes around trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>make malware?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doyoung sniffs, unfazed. “You’re just saying that because you wish you were half as smart as me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If there is a higher deity out there, they only created you to foster chaos. That’s the sole explanation as to why you have even a modicum of intelligence.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s right at that moment that Jaeyoon enters the cafe, and Inseong’s jaw fucking drops. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jaeyoon!” He calls out before his brain can process what he just said. Jaeyoon turns around in the direction of his voice and his face splits into a blinding smile, dimples and all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inseong!” His smile is as bright as the sun. “I didn’t think I’d run into you here.” He’s dressed a little differently from the last time they met, swapping business casual wear for a sleeveless black shirt and athletic shorts. Inseong would almost laugh at the sweat wristbands Jaeyoon’s got on if they weren’t so darn endearing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither. Where did you just come from?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaeyoon runs a hand through his sweaty hair, practically radiating as the natural sunlight bounces off his skin. “Oh you know, just a quick workout at the gym. I like to occasionally treat myself to a post-workout smoothie every few weeks or so.” Inseong holds onto every last word as if Jaeyoon’s citing gospel. “What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m here with,” he groans inwardly, “my friend, Doyoung. He’s just showing some programming stuff he’s working on.” Doyoung has enough sense in him to smile and wave respectfully and look like someone who didn’t just proposition his best friend to hang out so they could look at his malware code together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaeyoon’s expression morphs into one of surprise and fascination. “That’s so cool.” He glances over at Inseong. “Do you work in programming too?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I make software and stuff. I don’t really want to bore you with IT jargon. Hey, I realized I never asked what you do for work.” Inseong flushes, thinking about the last time they met and what a mess he was. “Sorry you didn’t exactly see me at my best.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaeyoon shakes his head. “Nonsense, we all have days like that. I think you looked pretty cute that day.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong momentarily forgets how to breathe but Jaeyoon says it so effortlessly and with such candor that it nearly debilitizes him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyways,” Jaeyoon continues on as if he didn’t just induce premature heart problems with one line, “I work in marketing! Probably not as interesting as what you guys have going on, but I like it a lot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I assure you Inseong finds that a thousand times more interesting than what we’re working on right now.” Doyoung says with a smug expression, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. Inseong has to resist the urge to kick him in the knees under the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, having to look at monotonous lines of codes for hours on end can get pretty mind numbing. Hey, last time I didn’t ask for your number. You know, so we could possibly hang out. And stuff.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong can see Doyoung mouth </span>
  <em>
    <span>“smooth” </span>
  </em>
  <span>from across the table and Inseong glares at him. Thankfully, Jaeyoon pays no attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Maybe we could meet up when neither of us have work?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong, flustered, nods in response as they save their numbers in each other's phones. He’s a little frisky, and saves his contact information under the name “kim inseong” with a sparkly heart emoji. He catches the way Jaeyoon’s cheeks turn a soft shade of pink when he looks at the name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it was really nice seeing you here. I’ll have to get going, but we can text in the meantime.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Inseong says, stumbling over his words, “it was really nice running into you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaeyoon grins that signature dimpled smile in response. “It was also nice meeting you, Doyoung. I’ll see you around Inseong.” He leaves with a wink and a wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A look of realization blooms on Doyoung’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I get it now. So you like him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Doyoung.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doyoung’s mouth curls into a smirk, and theoretically it should look creepy but of course he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kim Doyoung </span>
  </em>
  <span>and ridiculously handsome so it just comes off as charming. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>like </span>
  </em>
  <span>him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inseong faces turns as red as a tomato. “Shut the fuck up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanna know how I know for sure?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you say one more thing I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>corrupt your personal laptop with malware.” </span>
  <span>Doyoung just chuckles, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course</span>
  </em>
  <span> he finds enjoyment from tormenting Inseong. “Alright, whatever you say.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>oh my god i did not think it wld take me three months to write this chapter but ... alas :"-D</p><p>hopefully this was worth the wait!! there will be one more chapter after this ^^ i can guarantee that it will not take another three months to finish this fic or else i will quite literally fling myself into the stratosphere</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Inseong and Youngbin schedule to meet up a week later, incidentally, at the exact same cafe. </p><p>Similarly to the last time he ran into Jaeyoon, he’s a little surprised when Youngbin shows up in an oversized hoodie and denim jeans, a far cry from his pressed bespoke suit he wore the first time they met. </p><p>Of course he’s not going to wear a suit to a casual outing, Inseong thinks to himself. He’s not sure if he should be excited or disappointed. The hoodie makes him appear smaller than usual, softening the crisp lines of his body typically accentuated by his suit. Youngbin looks a little younger, a little more innocent. </p><p>“Hey!” Youngbin greets when he walks into the cafe, 2pm on the dot. “You look really nice.” He catches Inseong off guard again when he opens his arms, pulling him in for a hug. Inseong makes a noise when he collides against Youngbin, arms wrapping around him to reciprocate the hug as he thinks about how solid and firm his chest feels. He also didn’t notice earlier how Youngbin is just a touch shorter than him: it must be the way Youngbin always holds himself with such confidence and grace. He even smells like expensive cologne, Inseong quietly thinks to himself, picking out notes of sandalwood as chin presses into the soft material of Youngbin’s hoodie.</p><p>When they break apart from the hug, Inseong tugs on the sleeves of his navy sweater, neck suddenly feeling warm. He doesn’t really think his outfit is that special, though he will deny any claims that he spent longer than usual picking out his clothes today. Inseong can practically hear Chani’s voice echoing in his head, telling him that he dresses like an eldery man.  </p><p>“Thanks. You look really nice too.” Inseong manages out, offering a shy smile. </p><p>Youngbin laughs, eyes curling into pretty crescents. “Thanks. It’s a lot more comfortable than wearing a suit. Hopefully it looks just as good.” </p><p>Inseong wants to tell him that he thinks Youngbin looks good regardless of what he’s wearing but worries that he’ll come off too strong. “What were you thinking about ordering?” </p><p>“Hm,” Youngbin squints up at the menu, stroking his chin inquisitively, “I’ve actually only been here a couple times so I don’t really know what’s good.”  </p><p>“I really like the iced vanilla lattes. Their matcha drinks are also really good.”</p><p>“Hm,” Youngbin taps a finger against his chin, “the vanilla latte sounds really good. I think I’m going to get that.” Out of the corner of his eye, Inseong catches Youngbin fishing for his wallet in his pocket and reaches out to stop him. </p><p>“No need for that. It’s on me.” </p><p>Youngbin looks a little flustered, caught off guard. “I feel bad about making you pay.”</p><p>“And I feel bad for spilling coffee all over you and ruining your suit. You can pay next time.” Inseong really doesn’t want to think too much about the implications of what he just said and instead chooses to focus on the way Youngbin’s blush turns crimson. </p><p>“Alright. Thank you so much, Inseong.” </p><p>Inseong orders for the two of them: iced americano for him, an iced vanilla latte for Youngbin. <br/>
He’s been eyeing the glass display of baked goods the entire time he’s in line, and picks out a slice of pound cake for Youngbin at the last second. Youngbin’s saved them a table in the back of the cafe, looking up from his phone when he notices Inseong approaching. </p><p>“Thanks again, it was really nice of you to do all of this.” Youngbin says, eyes widening at the pound cake. “Did you buy me cake?” </p><p>“Yeah,” Inseong shrugs with a smile, sliding into his seat, “an extra bonus for you.” </p><p>“And they say chivalry is dead.” </p><p>Inseong looks away, doing a horrible job at hiding his affection. </p><p>They fall into comfortable conversation, and Inseong is surprised at how well he gets along with Youngbin. He wouldn’t call himself introverted per se, but there are aspects of his personality that don’t exactly mesh well with everyone. Youngbin doesn’t hang onto his words the same way Jaeyoon does, but he reacts just as enthusiastically to what Inseong’s saying. Inseong catches his heartbeat picking up whenever Youngbin smiles at him or showers him with compliments, unable to hide his obvious attraction. </p><p>“So, what do you do for work?” Youngbin looks up at him with bright eyes, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. </p><p>“I make software and stuff,” Inseong responds with essentially the same thing he said to Jaeyoon, “basically I write code for a company.” It’s a gross oversimplification of what he does, but he realizes that talking about computer languages might not be the most interesting conversation topic in the world. </p><p>Youngbin seems to disagree, at least with the way his mouth falls open in surprise. “That’s really cool! I’m terrible with computers.” He laughs a little. “I work in investment banking.” </p><p>“Holy shit. That’s — that’s really impressive.” It also explains why Youngbin looks and smells like a million bucks. The suits he wears must easily be more expensive than half of Inseong’s wardrobe. </p><p>“Thanks.” Youngbin says shyly, gently smiling back at Inseong. He doesn’t seem to possess the same overinflated ego or pomp that most others in his occupation seem to have. His authenticity is refreshing and genuine. </p><p>If Jaeyoon is the cool warmth of the morning sun shining against droplets of dew, then Youngbin is the elegance of the sun in late afternoon, and Inseong feels as if he’s basking in his golden rays. </p><p><br/>
“Ah, shoot,” Youngbin looks down at his watch forlornly, “I have to go. My parents wanted me to meet them for dinner. I’m really sorry.” When Inseong checks the time on his phone, he’s shocked to find out that nearly four hours have already passed — he hadn’t realized how quickly time flew whilst in the presence of Youngbin. </p><p>“Oh that’s really no problem,” Inseong stands up, gathering their trash, “I should also get going as well.” On his way to the garbage can, someone across the cafe catches his eye and he suddenly feels breathless. He walks over, Youngbin in tow, as he sticks his hand out and waves.</p><p>“Jaeyoon?” </p><p>The figure in question confusedly looks up at the sound of his name before he spots Inseong, face immediately brightening into a dimpled smile. He pulls out his earbuds, gaze flicking over to Youngbin. “Inseong! Didn’t think I’d see you here again, we really need to stop running into each other all the time like this.” Jaeyoon sunnily jokes. “And who’s this?” </p><p>“Youngbin, it’s nice to meet you.” Youngbin sticks his hand out, like the formal businessman he is, and they shake hands. Jaeyoon’s hand lingers against Youngbin’s hand a second too long, and Inseong swears Youngbin’s face goes the slightest tinge of pink. “I assume you two are friends?” </p><p>Jaeyoon shrugs, still smiling. “Yeah, we’ve talked a few times. We just keep running into each other at this cafe, for some reason.” </p><p>“Must be fate.” Youngbin offers.</p><p>The expression on Jaeyoon’s face softens. “Yeah.”  </p><p>Inseong stands in the middle, stunned into silence.</p><p>The sound of his heartbeat pounds in his ears. </p><p> </p><p>♡♡♡</p><p> </p><p>The interactions with Youngbin and Jaeyoon keep Inseong up at night. </p><p>It’s pretty obvious that he likes them, and that they reciprocate his feelings. He’s just not exactly sure how things would work out between the three of them. He’s not even sure how to go about breaking this news to the two of them. Inseong logically knows that Youngbin and Jaeyoon must like each other to an extent, if their interaction at the cafe was indicative of anything, but would they be willing to pursue a relationship with one another? With him?</p><p>Inseong even considers the possibility that either one of them might already be in a relationship, which definitely is the catalyst for many sleepless nights spent staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. He ponders to himself how he even got himself into this situation in the first place: falling in love with the two guys he keeps running into at this favourite cafe feels incredibly surreal. It’s as if he’s the main character in an incredibly strange web novel. </p><p>He runs himself into a wall with how much thinking he does, wishing that there was some sort of algorithm that could give him answers. Inseong, sighs, knowing life isn’t as easy as coding a program. He needs to take matters into his own hands. </p><p>Inseong knows he's hit a new low by coming to Chani for advice, yet here he is, leaning against the exterior wall of Chani's cubicle. </p><p>"So there's these two guys that I keep running to at the cafe I frequent," Inseong says.</p><p>Without missing a beat or looking up from his computer, Chani responds with: "Are you going to tell me you're in love with both of them and ask me for advice?"</p><p>"What?!" Inseong sputters in indignation. "No! Absolutely not." He looks away, face burning with embarrassment. "Okay, maybe." </p><p>"Just set up a meeting for all three of you to meet. Figure out where to go from there." Chani's still typing away, working on a spreadsheet and not bothered enough to look up. Inseong stands in slight disbelief and surprise. </p><p>“Thanks.” He says dumbly. “You’re a lot more intelligent than you let on.” </p><p>Chani finally looks up from his computer monitor, fixing him with a dead stare. “Thanks. I’m observant.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the final chapter is here, at last! thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me all this time: i truly did not expect this to take me four whole months to finish, but i'm extremely happy that this is finally finished ^^ i hope you enjoy!</p><p>i truly did try to limit the word count of this fic, but i may have gotten (extremely) carried away ;;</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey,” Inseong looks up from his screen and sees Seokwoo standing next to his cubicle, disposable coffee cup in hand, “did you see the email that was just sent out?” </p><p>Inseong pushes his glasses up so he can rub at his eyes. “Nope, I’ve just been coding for the last few hours. You know, <em> doing my job </em>.” He says, with no real bite. Seokwoo just laughs, resting his hands on Inseong’s shoulders and beginning to massage the muscles there. Inseong lets out a quiet groan, closing his eyes as he lets Seokwoo relieve the tension, working out the knots. He never really realizes how much time passes when he’s wired into a task. </p><p>“Well, the company ordered too much catering and now there’s free cookies on the third floor. Just thought you’d be interested.” </p><p>Inseong’s eyes immediately open, spinning around in his chair so quickly he almost gives himself whiplash. “Why didn’t you open with that, dummy?” He stands up from his chair and does a full body stretch, hearing the familiar sound of his back and neck cracking. </p><p>Seokwoo shrugs, an amused expression on his face. “Dunno. Thought you’d still appreciate the information anyways.” Inseong doesn’t need to be told twice when there’s free food on the line, smacking Seokwoo’s back as he makes a beeline for the elevators, practically running.</p><p>“Thanks dude! You’re the best!” He calls out behind him, not stopping to catch Seokwoo’s reaction. </p><p>True to Seokwoo’s word, there’s free cookies on the third floor — and quite a decent selection as well. Inseong happily grabs a napkin, taking a chocolate chip cookie when he hears someone else entering the room. </p><p>“Inseong?” </p><p>He turns his head in the direction of the voice, nearly dropping his cookie on the floor when he recognizes who it is. His heartbeat spikes when he’s greeted with the sight of a familiar face but openly gapes at how handsome the figure in front of him looks in a simple button up and black tie, sleeves pushed up to reveal toned forearms. </p><p>“Jaeyoon? You — <em> you work here? </em>” Inseong sputters, rubbing at his eyes again to make sure they’re not deceiving him. When Jaeyoon’s still standing in front of him, he realizes that this isn’t a dream and yes, the hot dude he’s been running into at the cafe for the past month works at the exact same company as he does. </p><p>Inseong has no clue what to do with this information. </p><p>Jaeyoon smiles, the sight of his dimples doing ungodly things to Inseong’s heart. “I was just going to say the same thing. Funny coincidence, huh?” He leans forward to grab a napkin and cookie, very deliberately brushing his hand against Inseong’s. </p><p>“I can’t believe we’ve been working at the same company all this time and we just didn’t know.” Inseong babbles, running a hand through his hair. “That’s wild.” </p><p>“I wonder if there’s other people we know that work here as well.” Jaeyoon muses, biting a chunk off his cookie. He shouldn’t look so effortlessly attractive doing such a mundane action but alas, Inseong has truly fallen head over heels for him. Jaeyoon meets Inseong’s gaze with a smirk: “Well, I’ve gotta get back to work, but I’m sure we’ll run into each other later. The universe keeps finding ways for us to run into one another.” </p><p>Inseong doesn’t want to later regret letting Jaeyoon go and his mouth moves before his brain does. “Do you want to get coffee with me later? After work?” He blurts out, heart skipping a beat at the way Jaeyoon now flushes, eyes widening infinitesimally. It’s nice to know they have the same kind of effect on one another. </p><p>“Yeah, that sounds nice.” Jaeyoon remarks, gently taking Inseong’s hand in his. “See you at 5pm?” Their hands slot together so nicely, Inseong thinks to himself. </p><p>“Sounds good.” Inseong says, breathless. “See you later, Jaeyoon.” He wants to whine when Jaeyoon lets go of his hand but tamps down on the temptation, not wanting to be excessively obnoxious. He can feel the heat of Jaeyoon’s hand lingering as Jaeyoon does a little wave, walking away. </p><p>“Bye Inseong! It was really nice running into you.” </p><p>Inseong facepalms himself at the way he watches Jaeyoon walk away, but he doesn’t really think anyone can blame him when Jaeyoon has an ass that looks like <em> that </em>. </p><p> </p><p>♡♡♡</p><p> </p><p>As planned, the two of them meet up after work. Inseong doesn’t realize how great of an idea this was in retrospect until he’s taking the elevator down to the lobby, on the verge of falling asleep even though it’s only a few minutes past 5 o’clock. He’s drained of all his energy and is in desperate need of caffeine. </p><p><em> Maybe I am a genius after all, </em> Inseong thinks to himself when he spots Jaeyoon already waiting for him on the first floor, offering a smile and a wave. Jaeyoon’s wearing a suit jacket that Inseong didn’t see him wearing earlier, deep navy coloured and tailored to accentuate the breadth of his shoulders. </p><p>“Inseong!” Jaeyoon smiles, automatically wrapping an arm around his shoulders as if they were close friends. “How was work?” </p><p>In the back of his mind, Inseong thinks about how painfully domestic this feels, and his heart beats a little faster. “It was nice. It’s nicer to be spending time with you, though.” </p><p><em> Smooth, Inseong, smooth. </em> </p><p>Jaeyoon flushes a little, and Inseong can’t help but point out how cute he looks, causing Jaeyoon to be stunned into silence. Inseong quietly rejoices in the fact that he can have this impact on the men that fall for him. </p><p>They walk to the cafe at a leisurely pace, chatting amicably along the way. Inseong’s a little drained to contribute to the conversation, but he’s more than happy to listen to Jaeyoon ecstatically talk about his day. It’s nice, getting to listen to Jaeyoon talk about the intricacies about his job, the projects he’s currently working on and helping supervise, all the random office drama that happens in the marketing department.  </p><p>Upon arriving at the cafe, Jaeyoon holds the door open for Inseong. Inseong responds with an eyeroll, but sweetly smiles at the gesture. They stand in line together, continuing to quietly chat amongst themselves as Inseong registers someone lining up after them from out of the corner of his eye. </p><p>“Inseong, Jaeyoon?” A familiar sounding voice calls out from behind. </p><p>The two of them turn around in unison, spotting Youngbin warmly smiling in return. He’s wearing another expensive looking designer suit, this time in slate gray and paired with a black tie. This side of Youngbin is always surprising to see, his sharp confidence and dominance that contrasts his usual soft and gentle demeanor. </p><p>“I thought it was you two.” Youngbin says cheerfully. “Funny seeing you two again. What are you guys up to?” </p><p>“We’re actually here getting coffee together,” Jaeyoon says, glancing over at Inseong, “wanna join us?” </p><p>Youngbin looks pleasantly surprised, standing closer to them in line. “Yeah, I’d love to.”</p><p>“You two seem friendly.” Inseong jokingly remarks, noticing the more amicable atmosphere between Youngbin and Jaeyoon. It feels as if something has changed, a subtle yet pleasant shift that Inseong has immediately picked up on. </p><p>Jaeyoon looks a little embarrassed, tinged soft pink. “Actually, we ran into each other a couple days ago, at this same cafe. It was really nice, getting to talk and know each other better.” He side eyes Youngbin, who just looks amused. </p><p>“Oh,” Inseong says, dumbfounded. “That’s really sweet.” He feels a strange rush of relief settling in, happy that the two of them have gotten closer since he’s last seen them. It’s an inexplicable feeling, but being out with Youngbin and Jaeyoon just feels so <em> right </em>. Inseong feels as if the universe is giving him a sign that things might actually work out, and he’s forever indebted.  </p><p>They all order their drinks: Inseong doesn’t stray far away from his usual order of an iced americano with an extra shot of espresso, Jaeyoon gets a strawberry banana smoothie with a scoop of protein powder, and to Inseong’s delight, Youngbin orders an iced vanilla latte, just like last time. Youngbin insists on paying for the three of them and this time, Inseong doesn’t stop him. They pick a table near the windows this time, sliding into their seats.  </p><p>“How was work?” Jaeyoon asks, tilting his head to the side. </p><p>Youngbin laughs, running a hand through his hair, loosening the strands from the way they’ve been meticulously styled with gel. “Busy as always, but not as busy as some other days. I got to clock out on time and didn’t have to stay after hours, so that was really nice.” Both Inseong and Jaeyoon make a face, sympathetic for how demanding Youngbin’s job must be. “But I don’t want to be too depressing, especially since we’re all hanging out together. How was work for you two?” Youngbin transitions between conversation topics smoothly, taking a sip of his drink. </p><p>“So, you’ll never believe what happened today,” Inseong starts, propping his chin up with the palm of his hand. </p><p>Youngbin raises an eyebrow. “Hmm?”  </p><p>“Jaeyoon and I found out that we’ve been working at the same company this entire time. Isn’t that wild? That we’ve ran into each other all this time but we never knew? That was really surprising.” Jaeyoon nods in agreement, emitting a happy sounding noise. Youngbin looks just as amused, a twinkle in his eyes. </p><p>“If you don’t mind me asking, where do you guys work?”</p><p>“Sepgu Corporation.” Jaeyoon responds, and Youngbin’s face almost immediately morphs into one of shock, mouth falling open.  </p><p>“No way. No <em> way </em>.” Youngbin exhales, covering his mouth with his mouth. “That’s ridiculous.” He chuckles to himself, almost disbelieving of the situation at hand. “I work there too.” </p><p>“<em> What? </em>” Jaeyoon exclaims, at the exact same time as Inseong simply remarks with: “holy shit.” </p><p>“I can’t believe it either,” Youngbin says, “to think that all this time, we’ve all worked at the exact same company, but in different departments.” </p><p>“This really does feel like fate.” Inseong blurts out before he can stop himself. </p><p>Jaeyoon just smiles softly. “Yeah, it’s as if we were destined to meet one another.” </p><p>A silence falls onto the three of them, all seemingly thinking the same thing but unsure of how to approach the elephant in the room. </p><p>"Um," Inseong tries, quite eloquent with his words, "uh." </p><p>"I like the both of you, and I'm sure you reciprocate those feelings to an extent. Fate keeps bringing us together in the strangest of ways, and although our relationship would be unconventional, I don't mind." Youngbin's bluntness has the sharpness of a slap to the face, painfully straight to the point. </p><p>Jaeyoon slowly nods, corroborating Youngbin’s words. “Me too. I’ll admit, I’ve never quite been in a relationship like this before, nor have I fallen for two people at once but,” he glances at the two of them, showing off his dimples, “I want to do this.” </p><p>Inseong gets a little teary-eyed, still at a complete loss for words. To think that he stressed out for so long, only for Youngbin and Jaeyoon felt the same way as he did all this time. It feels wonderfully cathartic and sends a pleasant flare of heat through his body. Inseong knows he can have a magnetic impact on some people, but he didn’t expect things to turn out so perfectly. </p><p>“Pinch me, I have to be in a dream right now.” Inseong states, and yelps when Jaeyoon <em> actually does it, </em> the three of them dissolving into a bout of laughter. Inseong glares at Jaeyoon with the menace of a tiny kitten. “I did not mean that literally.” </p><p>Jaeyoon has the gall to look smug, crossing his arms over his chest, which only emphasizes the swell of his pectorals and the width of his biceps even more. </p><p>“So, would you be interested?” Youngbin softly asks, looking at Inseong.</p><p>Inseong doesn’t have to think twice. “Yes.” He responds with a beaming smile, and it just feels <em> so right.  </em></p><p> </p><p>♡♡♡</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Hyung </em>,” Chani groans, passing by Inseong’s cubicle, “your boyfriend is here to see you and told me to inform you, as apparently I’ve been demoted to messenger.” </p><p>“Which boyfriend?” Inseong retorts, earning him a glare in response. “I’m just joking with you, thanks Chani-yah.” He singsongs, reaching his hand out to ruffle Chani’s hair but narrowly misses by a few centimeters when Chani ducks away. Chani mutters something under his breath that sounds dangerously close to <em> “I’m not getting paid enough for this shit </em>” but Inseong knows it’s all a ruse: Chani is much softer than he appears on the surface. </p><p>They’ve done this enough times that Inseong knows where to find his boyfriends, though it’s always a surprise as to which one will pick him up at the end of work day. </p><p>“Inseong!” Jaeyoon’s smiling face beams at him, opening his arms to pull him in for a hug. Inseong easily accepts, burying his face into the crook of Jaeyoon’s neck and savouring the feeling of being so safe and warm in Jaeyoon’s arms. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of this, especially the way Jaeyoon softly presses a kiss into his hair. </p><p>“Where’s Youngbin?” Inseong asks, voice muffled. </p><p>“He should be coming down in a few minutes, he’s probably still dealing with a client.” </p><p>“Mmm.” </p><p>True to Jaeyoon’s words, Youngbin does show up roughly five minutes later, looking a little frazzled as he steps off the elevator but the way his face breaks out into a smile when he spots his boyfriends is priceless. </p><p>“Hey,” Youngbin greets the two of them, pecking both of their cheeks, “thanks for waiting on me.” </p><p>Jaeyoon snorts, though juxtaposed with a dimpled smile. “We weren’t going to abandon you and leave you to the wolves.” </p><p>Youngbin looks amused, mouth quirking into a smirk. “The wolves?” </p><p>“Don’t act like you’re <em> not </em>a hot commodity, hyung.” Jaeyoon retorts, and the resulting blush on Youngbin’s cheeks is delightful.</p><p>As the three of them stop by their beloved coffee shop to get evening drinks, Inseong can’t help but feel happy butterflies in his chest: they’re an odd little trio seemingly brought together by strange external forces, but they feel so right. He glances over at Youngbin and Jaeyoon with a sense of fondness, feeling energized just looking at the two of them. </p><p>“What are you thinking about?” Jaeyoon snaps Inseong out of his thoughts, smiling at him.</p><p>Inseong just shrugs, laughing a little. “Nothing, really. I’m just thinking about how happy I am.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><a href="http://twitter.com/PEGCHANGMIN">main twt</a> / <a href="http://twitter.com/HUTAZ0NED">fic twt</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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